Shining stars of nursing and midwifery celebrated by Auckland DHB

Last night Auckland DHB held its annual A+ Trust Nursing and Midwifery Awards at the Hilton in Auckland, to acknowledge the organisation’s amazing nurses and midwives.

Awards were presented to nurses and midwives for outstanding work in clinical practice, leadership and education.

This year a number of new awards were introduced to recognise the diversity of the DHB’s nursing and midwifery workforce.

These included the Rising Star Award which went to Emily Lonsdale-Cooper, who has been outstanding in practice since she joined the organisation in 2017.

Two other new awards were the Te Kauae Raro Māori Nursing and Midwifery Award and the Pacific Nursing and Midwifery Award.

The inaugural winners of these awards were Dawson Ward and Unaisi Wainivetau, who received them for improving outcomes and reducing inequities within Auckland DHB’s Māori and Pacific communities.

Chief Nursing Officer Margaret Dotchin said: “I am incredibly proud of what all our nurses and midwives at Auckland DHB achieve every day. These awards are an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the awesome work our nurses and midwives do in caring for patients, their families and our community.

“We had a fabulous response this year, with more than 200 of our amazing nurses and midwives nominated for the awards, making our job as judges really difficult.

“Congratulations to all winners and finalists, and thank you to every nurse and midwife for what you achieve every day.”

Chief Executive Ailsa Claire said: “I am incredibly proud of our amazing nursing and midwifery teams here at Auckland DHB. It was inspiring to hear about nurses who have stepped up to the plate, taking on new roles, leading teams, being an advocate and delivering excellent care for our patients and their families.

“Nurses and midwives are achieving these amazing things at a time when more and more is being asked of them and other health professions, as the population continues to grow in Auckland, and the acuity of our patients increases. I thank them from the bottom my heart.”